US think-tank offers job to Pak's ex-despot

An American think-tank is offering a job to Pakistan coup leader-turned-president, Gen. (R) Pervez Musharraf as head of its Pakistan chair.

Reports from Philadelphia, Pa., said when Musharraf went there to speak last week, pro-democracy supporters from Pakistan were ready there with shoes to be hurled at him.

The think-tank that is offering the job to Musharraf is the Middle East Institute, which is headed by former US ambassador to Pakistan Wendy Chamberlin.

Not many know but the word Pakistan, which means "Land of the Pure", did not exist in the Urdu vernacular until 1940. Musharraf himself was not born in Pakistan and has little knowledge about the local ethnic communities including Punjabis, Pashtuns, Sindhis and Baluch.

A total alcoholic -- he gulped half bottle of Johnie Walker blue label each evening --, the former dictator is staunchly anti-feminist and had accused victims of rape as making up a story to emigrate to the West.

Musharraf managed to stay in power mainly because of the support he received from international villain and former US vice president, Dick Cheney.

Chamberlin is believed to be close to the new Obama administration and is on deputation to the USAID. She wants Musharraf to join the MEI as head of the Pakistan chair.

If Musharraf is hired, analysts said MEI might have to add a considerable budget for security as many Pakistanis living in US have unsettled scores with the former dictator.
 
Pakistan social activist and chief coordinator of the Foprum for Justice and Democracy in pakistan, Iqbal Tareen said he is shocked by the MEI offer. "This is like adding insult to the injury of the people of Pakistan," Tareen said. "Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto had said if something happened to her, Musharraf will be responsible."
 
Tareen said he was all the more shocked because Chamberlin was considered close to Bhutto.

Many Americans are unaware Musharraf's hero in Pakistan army is former ISI chief Gen. (R) Hamid Gul a man committed to the destruction of the US by whatever means. In a recent interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Musharraf defended the role of the ISI though the dreaded secret agency is determined to bring back Taliban rule in Afghanistan.